Belt drive for grinding-machines.



C. H. NORTON BELT DRIVE FOR GRINDING MAcHlNEs.

APPLICATION FILED MIT-18.1915.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. H. NORTON.

BELT DRIVE FOR GRlNDLNG MACHINES.

APPLICATION EiLED 0 CT.18. 1915.

` Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 sHEETs-sHEEr`2 CHARLES H. NORTON, OF WOECESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 NORTON GRINDIN G COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BELT DRIVE FOR GRINDING-MAGHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,390.

To all whom z't 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Belt Drive for Grinding-Machines, of which the following is a specfioation.

This invention relates to a belt drive for a grinding machine and also to improved devices for preventing access of Water to the drving bel a It' is desirable for many reasons that the belt drive of a grinding wheel shaft should be from below rather than overhead. The advantages f the underneath drive include increased siiifety, cleanliness, and light as well asa marked improvement in general appearance;

Under modern conditions a grinding machine of the type herein considered is always provided with means for supplying water to the grinding` wheel and the work. In order to prevent this water from reaching the driving belt it has' been the practice heretofore to carry the belt rearwardly from the pulley on the grinding wheel shaft in order to avoid contact with the water thrown from the grinding wheel. This construction necessitated the use of two or more guide and take-up pulleys and prevented the use of a straight direct drive from Va power shaft in the base of the machine to the grinding wheel shaft.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a grinding` machine with a direct belt drive from the power shaft to the grinding wheel shaft and also to provide improved devices for protecting the driving belt from water.

VVith this object in view one important feature of my invention relates to the provision of a trough in the grinding machine base having a rentrant portion providing clearanoe for the straight riui of the driving belt and in the further provision of a guard plate carried by the wheel slide and closing the open upper end of the rentrant portion of the trough in all positions of the wheel slide. Q

Further 'features of my invention relate to certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of niy invention is shown in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a grinding machine having a portion cut away to show the construction of the trough and guard plate;

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevation similar to Fig. l but showing the wheel slide in extreme forward position;

Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation showing the belt drive for the grinding wheel;

Fig. et is a partial sectional plan view taken on the line 11-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings I have shown my invention as embodied in a grinding machine of a common type. The base 10 of the machine is provided with ways 11 and 12 for sup-porting and guiding` a longitudinally,movab1e work table 13. The base 10 is also provided with a. second set of ways 11 and 15 (Fig. 3) for supporting and guiding a. transversely movable wheel slide 1G. The grinding wheel lV is mounted upon the wheel shaft 17 rotatable in bearings 18 and 19 carried by the wheel slide 16.

A pulley 20 is fixed to the shaft 17 between the bearings 18 and 19 and is connected by a driving belt. 21 to a driving pulley 22 mounted upon the power shaft 23. The shaft 23 is supported in bearings 21 and 25 on the base 10 and may be driven by a clutch pulley 26 or in any other convenient manner.

A tightener pulley 27 is mounted upon a swinging arm 98 pivoted to swing about the axis of the power shaft 23. The arln 28 is engaged by one end of a coil spring 29 (Fig. 3) fixed to the bearing "25 and is forced yieldingly forward by said spring to bringthe pulley 28 into engagement with the belt 21. The pulley 27 thus acts as a tightener for the belt 21 and permits the belt to adj ust itself to the different transverse positons of the shaft 17.

A nozzle 30 is supported upon the wheel slide and is connected by a fiexible pipe 31 to any suitable source of water supply. The Cooling Water after leaving the nozzle 80 engages the wheel and the Work and is then collected in a trough 32 formed in the base 10. Any suitable provision (not shown) may be made for disposing of the water collected in the trough 32.

`It will be noted by reference to Fig's. 1 and 2 that the driving` belt 21 in its straight substantially Vertical run from the pulley 20 to the pulley 22 travels downward at the extreme front end of the wheel slide and closely adjacent to the trough 32. In order to fully protect the belt 21 from contact with the Cooling' water I provide a reentrant portion 32a (F igs. l and 5) in the trough 32, said portion being of Suflicient width and length to provide clearance for the belt 21 in every position thereof.

The upper end of this rentrant portion, is open and some form of closure is necessary to prevent the entrance of water therein. For this purpose I provide a guard plate 33 fixed to the front end of the wheel slide 16 and having` a forwardly projecting portion 33a suflicient in extent to cover the re'e'ntrant portion 32a of the trough 32 in every position of the slide. The guard plate is also provided With a depending,` flange 33b inclosing said rentrant portion upon three sides thereof and thus effectually preventing` access of water to the belt 21.

By the constructions above described I secure a direct belt drive from the power shaft 23 to the wheel shaft 17 and I effectually protect the belt from contact with the cooling water in every position of the wheel slide.

Havinp; thus described my invention it will be evident that changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departinp,` from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I do claim is 2- 1. In a grinding' machine, in combination, a base, a work supporting table movable longitudinally of said base, a wheel slide movable transversely 011 said base, a grnding wheel and shaft mounted on said slide, and a self-contained underneath drive for said grinding wheel, said drive comprising a power shaft mounted in said base substantially beneath said wheel shaft, pulleys on said power shaft and said wheel shaft, a belt directly connecting said pulleys and having` a straight clear substantially Vertical driving run between said pulleys on the front side thereof, and a tightener pulley yieldingly engagng said belt on its slack side.

2. In a grinding machine, in combination, a base, a work supporting table movable longitudinally of said base, a wheel slidemovable transversely on said base, a grinding wheel and shaft mounted on said'slide, a power shaft mounted in said base substantially beneath said wheel shaft, pulleys on said shafts, a belt on saidpulleys having a straight clear substantially Vertical driving run adjacent the front end of Said .wheel slide, a tightener pulley yieldingly engaging the slack run of sald belt, means to supply water to said grinding wheel, and means to protect the straight run of said belt from said water in every position of the. wheel slide.

3. In a g'rnding machine, in combination, a base, a wheel slide movable transversely thereof, a grinding wheel and shaft mounted thereon, a pulley on said shaft, a belt for driving said pulley having a straight substantially Vertical run adjacent the front end of said wheel slide, means to supply water to lthe wheel and work, and 'means to protect said .belt from water, said means comprising a trough in said base adapted to receive said water and having' a reentrant portion to provide clearance for said belt, and a guard plate carried by said wheel slide covering said rentrant portion and preventing entrance of water to said clearance space.

11. In a grinding` machine, in combination, a base, a work supportinp; table movable longitudinally of said base, a wheel slide movable transversely on said base, a grinding wheel and shaft mounted on Said slide, a power shaft mounted in said base substantially beneath said wheel shaft, a direct driving connection from said power shaft to said wheel shaft comprising pulleys on said shafts, a belt on said pulleys, and a tightener pulley yieldingly engaging' said belt, means to supply water to said grinding wheel, and means to protect said belt from water in every position of the belt, said means comprising a trough in said base having a rentrant portion providing clearance for said belt and a guard plate mounted on the wheel slide and movable therewith, said plate covering said re'c'ntrant portion and inclosing the same upon three sides thereof to prevent access of water to said belt.

CHARLES H. NORTON.

fiee of thie patent may be obtained felflve eente each, by adressing the commisaioner of Patemai Weehflnaton, D. 0. 

